Aprilia’s MotoGP team has been kicking serious butt this past weekend.
A recent press release from Aprilia states the weekend’s antics of two riders in particular (Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales), both of which showed excellent times and form after the first two practise sessions.
The team has apparently worked a huge amount on tyre grip (the vulnerability that plagues every team in the circuit), with the result being that both Espargaró and Viñales “demonstrated great speed, resulting in the two best times of the day and already clear in the morning session.”
(The morning session in question showed equally great results, by the way, with Maverick snatching the second best time and Aleix with the fourth best).
As for how they’re feeling – you could say they’re starting to relax into their paces a bit more.
Aleix Espargaró (1st place – 1’39.402):
“It’s always important to start well and to find the right feeling with the bike and with the track. Obviously it’s only Friday, but Maverick and I were both competitive and that renders merit to the team’s hard work. On this track grip is really low, so tyre choice and how to manage them to the end of the race are fundamental issues.”
“Now we’ll have to carefully analyse the spin levels and the speed on corners for each different tyre in order to make the right choices and set up the best strategy.”
Maverick Viñales (2nd place – 1’39.705)
“I am very, very happy and not just because of the fast lap. On this track, the true difference will be made by knowing how to manage the tyres and from this point of view, we’ve done a good job. I’m convinced that tomorrow in FP3 the times will drop even lower.”
“When you put the new tyre on here, it almost seems like you’re riding a different bike! In any case, we’ll keep moving forward. We’re on the right track and it would be fantastic to take that last step right here, on my home track and with my fan club trackside cheering me on.”
We wish the two racers the very best as they continue to find the sweet spot relationship between tyre and pavement.
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Drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
*Media sourced from Aprilia’s press release*